A UNIQUE community group is facing a desperate search to find a home after being told it must quit its current premises.

The Pottery Group, which is a self-help group for adults with learning difficulties, has been based at the Leighton Centre, Railton Avenue, Crewe since 1990.

Now the group, which holds regular pottery-making therapy sessions at the centre, must find a new home after being served notice by Cheshire County Council to quit the building by December 22.

The Leighton Centre, a base for the county's youth service team, will be demolished early next year to make way for a multi-million pound care village for pensioners on the site.

The Pottery Group co-organiser Graham Brand said they need to find a new home that is big enough to house a fully working pottery kiln. He said: 'We are in crisis at the moment and are urgently seeking premises to carry on the voluntary work that we are doing in the community.

'We are a unique voluntary self-help community group that uses pottery making as a means of therapy to help adults who have learning difficulties and support needs.

'The site is owned by Cheshire County Council and we had been led to believe that alternative accommodation would be found for us as and when the building ceased to be available.

'However, we have now been given notice to quit the building in just over six weeks despite an earlier assurance that we would not have to move before March 31 next year and as yet we have nowhere definite to go.

'An old outbuilding, a church hall, a school room, whatever, would be fine. We just need somewhere big enough, about 600 to 700 square feet, to house the kiln and the other equipment that we use to run our group.'

Leighton Centre manager Ciaran Cleasby said Cheshire County Council is working closely with all groups who use the centre.

He said: 'The site is being used for care homes and all users of the centre have been given notice to vacate by December 22.

'We are working hard to help groups with their search for a new home. Some groups who use the centre have already found alternative homes and we are working with others to help them where possible.'

Anyone who can help with a new home for the group can phone Mr Brand on 01270 214585.